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Meet Stacy TUrk of Walters303 Pizzeria & Publik House in Uptown

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy Turk.

Stacy, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Mike Kienast opened the original Walter’s Pizzeria in the Uptown neighborhood of downtown Denver in November 2010. It was a dream come true. Ten years and four locations later, we are often asked, “Who the hell is Walter?” The simple answer is… nobody; the long answer… is a bit more complicated.

When Mike aka Walter first met Jennifer, now his wife, in late 2005 while watching a Bronco game at the Uptown Tavern, the dream of opening a pizzeria was already well more than a dream. While attending Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs, CO Mike worked for a family-owned (Dave and Debby Hammet) pizzeria called Pizza 4 U. After he graduated, the Hammet’s sold the restaurant and Mike moved on to working at a variety of dining establishments while putting himself through college. It was during this time he met his mentor and future business partner who owned a variety of fast-casual franchises around the country. For years, Mike worked tirelessly to learn the business from the ground up with the goal that one day, he would be able to start his own restaurant concept which he always knew this would be a pizza! For the first three years of their relationship Mike and Jen would often discuss his pizza plan, to which Jen would always suggest the name “Walter’s”. Not once did Mike ask why.

It was not until four years into their relationship and during their engagement that the dream looked to become a reality when Mike finally inquired… ”Why do you want me to name the pizza place Walter’s? Jen responded, “duh, because it’s your middle name”. Mike’s response, “hello, my middle name is Wayne. It’s nice to meet you”. And with that, Walter’s Pizzeria was born – “Your neighborhood pizzeria”, where we may or may not know your name.

In August of 2018, Uptown entered into a partnership with John and Stacy Turk. The Turks, as we fondly refer to them, are mainstays of the craft beer community and have been for years. John was Sales Manager for Epic Brewing Company and is the former host of the Colorado Craft Beer Show which was often co-hosted by Stacy who’s friendships within the craft brew industry run long and deep.

You might be asking yourself… what is a publik house? “We see a publik house as a focal point for social gatherings in a community”, said John and Stacy. Of course, it also means a place you can get a drink! It is that same sense of community reflected in the “neighborhood pizzeria” atmosphere Walter’s has created over the past six years which is what made our partnership and Walter’s evolution into a publik house such an obvious one.

Together, they pledge to bring unique, delicious, hard-to-find brews! We plan to bring you the unique, delicious, hard-to-find brews to enjoy in a cozy atmosphere. No beer will be static and everything will rotate, so the lineup will be constantly changing. We will be working with local, national, and international breweries. Most of these will be breweries on the local scene who self distribute and you have probably never tried before.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We have had a blast creating our vibe at Walters303 Uptown! We feel like we are the “Cheers” of the neighborhood. Our customers have become like family to us! Through the last month with the “Shelter in place,” it has become apparent that they feel like we are family as well! We have had great support from the neighborhood and truly feel like we are all in this together. WE are happy to be able to give some sense of normalcy, even if it is a pizza or Margarita to go.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
We pride ourselves in Craft Pizza and Craft Beer. I would describe Walters303 as a Boutiquey stop for pizza, beer and cocktails. Our recipe is simple; dough made fresh daily, house-made marinara, premium toppings, and 100% whole milk mozzarella. Our recipes have roots in a family tradition with a modern twist. 

My husband, John and myself have crafted the beer program. From the early days of “craft” beer, Stacy and John Turk have been spreading the word of good beer. From slinging Rogue Dead Guy Ales in Grateful Deadshow parking lots in the early 90’s to creating a radio show in Denver strictly about beer. We are the ones who have the privilege of creating our tap list.

We try to strike a balance of a tap list that satisfies beer geeks and beer novices. You’ll never see the same beer list twice, although we do have quite a few repeat offenders. From Montucky Cold Snacks to Pliny the Elder, as well as Pliny The Younger, Hop Slam and Lawson’s Sip of Sunshine we got you covered. Even those rare treats that only the best beer bars in America get! Breweries also reach out to us for getting their “One Off’s, our customers know we like to bring those new and funky beers to the bar. We enjoy holding events on a weekly basis. We like letting the Breweries get in front of the consumers and have them ask questions and educate them on the different styles and what is being released soon. At Walters, we pride ourselves on educating our employees on the different styles of beer, how to pour a beer properly. But seriously, have some wings and an IPA or something new and funky.

What were you like growing up?
I was lucky enough and spent my childhood growing up on a farm in Minnesota. We owned a local country store in a town with a population of 557. I would help my mom after school serving soft-serve cones, restocking shelves or cleaning around the store. I would spend a lot of my summer weeks with my cousins at my uncle and aunts dairy farm helping milk cows, pulling weeds in the fields and found some fun riding the four-wheelers.

I moved to Colorado with my family in middle school- what a culture shock that was! I met my husband in high school. Since then, we have had three kids. We have a love for music, the outdoors and the craft beer industry! I am so thankful that I moved to Colorado! I love it and am happy to call it my home.

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